April 1, 1999
THE DISTRICT REINFORCES COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SAFETY
Second Phase of Short-Term Action Agenda Released
Washington, D.C. – Today, Mayor Anthony A. Williams unveiled the second phase of goals in his short-term action agenda. The second group of initiatives in the Mayor's service improvement plan focuses on substantially improving public safety in the District. "In my first three months in office, my administration has shown that we can produce visible improvements in service delivery. Now that we are making progress in cleaning our streets, we must work to make them safe," said Mayor Williams.
Police Chief Charles Ramsey and Fire Chief Don Edwards joined Mayor Williams to reinforce their combined commitment to making the District safe. The mayor released five public safety short-term action goals centered on service improvement within the Police and Fire/EMS Departments.
Goal: Enhanced Police Service in each Police District
Deadline: April 15
Goal: Reduced Response Time for Fire/Emergency Medical Services
Deadline: May 15
Goal: Crime Information to Officers Enhanced with Implementation of New Technology
Deadline: August 31
Goal: Open-Air Drug Market Abatement for Six Sites Launched
Deadline: August 31
Goal: Free Fire Inspections to district Homes Increased by 10%
Deadline: December 31
Both chiefs expressed their commitment to fulfilling the mayor's short-term action goals.
"I am committed to improving the quality of life and customer service in the city. Decreasing the wait time for ambulances and increasing home fire prevention inspections will assist the Mayor's goal of providing a safe and healthy city," said Chief Edwards.
Police Chief Ramsey indicated that both District police officers and citizens would see improvements from his department. "In the coming months, District residents will notice continued improvements in the quality of service provided by our department and in the level of safety in their neighborhoods. At the same time, our police officers will notice improvements in their own work environment – in the technology they use, the facilities they work in, and the cooperation they receive from the community in tackling problems such as open-air drug markets."
Although his short-term action initiatives have been successful, Mayor Williams expressed the need for them to be more than just quick fixes. " We can't just put a band-aid on the agencies and expect our service delivery problems to go away ."
